Frame By Frame
by AllisonHargreeves
Summary: In the aftermath of a devastating attack by Scar, Mustang and Hawkeye are left trapped and critically injured. While they dip in and out of consciousness, they dream of the lives they could've had while the rest of the team works against the clock to get to them in time. Series of Royai oneshot AUs. Complete (for now).
1. Collision

_A/N: This story's going to be a collab piece with a few awesome authors (PurpleMaple being one), so I don't have a grasp on how long this is going to be exactly. If you have an idea for an AU you'd like to see, drop me a line :). Hope you enjoy!_

"We have word Scar's been spotted again. Close to the edge of town at least. So far no casualties." Fuery's ear pressed against the radio. "But, to quote one of the soldiers, 'he looks angry." Mustang rolled his eyes. Did Scar have any other expression? At least that part of the city was mostly abandoned factories. Not many civilians to worry about.

"What's the plan of attack?" Mustang thought over Havoc's question. He couldn't give Scar another chance to escape. Too many lives had been lost already, this was their chance.

"Havoc, Hawkeye, with me. Falman, Breda, hang back a little but stay close. We don't know what we're walking into. Fuery, we'll need you to relay his movements to us through Breda and Havoc. Be ready to call in support."

Hawkeye made sure all of her guns were fully loaded, and slipped yet another behind her back. She wasn't particularly a fan of knives, but she placed one in her boot on the chance she ran out of ammo and had to improvise. Scar practically danced away from her perfect, precise shots last time. Falman also noticed an extra pair of the Colonel's gloves disappear into her pocket. No one was ever more prepared for battle than the hawk's eye and he was thankful every day she was on their side.

xxxx

"Come on!" Mustang yelled, furious, as he snapped his fingers. A wall of fire formed in front of Scar. He finally had him cornered. Flames in front of him, Hawkeye, Havoc, and Mustang behind. A full block of old factories and similar construction, with no breaks or alleys lining the street. He had his two most trusted subordinates and sharpshooters flanking him, Havoc walking slowly up and to the left, working to get a shot in while Mustang drew Scar's attention. Hawkeye stayed directly at her superior's side. "Let's see you get out of this one." Scar had led them on a chase through the city to an even more deserted part of town. The three dodged his attacks mostly with ease but Mustang's gunmen had yet to land a shot because of Scar's maneuvers. Even though Hawkeye had anticipated this, she was trying her best not to let her frustration show. She never missed, least of all more than once.

"Your death will be a slow and painful one, Alchemist." Scar said simply, placing his hand against the wall closest to Hawkeye and Mustang. The entire section began to crumble, snowballing quickly as one dilapidated structure folded against the next. The Colonel pushed Hawkeye hard to get her out of range, and he saw Havoc leap out of the way farther in front of him. But of course she had the same idea, and shoving against Mustang only accomplished bouncing off the other and falling down hard. Havoc was lifted off his feet and landed on his stomach, shielding his head as debris surrounded him.

"COLONEL! HAWKEYE!" Havoc coughed as he stumbled to his feet, staring at Scar. Mustang's fire was long gone, and he knew they'd let him get away once again.

"My quarrel is not with you." Mustang would want him to follow Scar and leave the two of them behind. It wasn't even a choice.

"Colonel! Hawkeye!" No answer. Havoc couldn't see past the wall of rubble his boss and teammate were behind, and the dust hadn't even settled. Havoc contacted Fuery immediately, but he was already on it. Of course, the kid had been listening in the entire time.

"Breda and Falman incoming along with reinforcements. About one and a half minutes out. What happened?" That was the downside to radio. He had only heard the sounds of collisions and Havoc screaming.

"Scar destroyed part of a block. Made sure buildings fell at us. The Colonel and Lieutenant didn't make it out. I don't know if they're alive." He was still choking on the dust and he struggled to get the words out between coughs.

He heard Fuery clicking away, relaying information. "Major Armstrong was called out to Briggs but is on his way back. If anyone can clear through that kind of damage, it's him. But it will take about a day."

"Call" another cough overtook him "-call the Elrics too." The chief might be their best chance.

xxxxx

"Colonel!" Hawkeye had been trying to get his attention but so far her efforts had been fruitless. At least she knew Mustang was alive; she could see his chest moving with each breath. She wished she could reach him to check closer but she was trapped in place. He was her main concern, so she didn't give herself the once over she had been trained to. _Please. Please open your eyes_. "Colonel! Wake up!"

He stirred at her tone. He hated when she yelled, because he always deserved it.

"5 more minutes." He was so tired, and he did not appreciate the rude awakening. "It's Sunday, I want to sleep in for once. Come back to bed, Riza." He lazily motioned in her direction, eyes shut tight. She exhaled, even that small movement sending searing pain up her side. But at least he was still there.

Hawkeye assessed the situation as objectively as possible. There was a long cut across his forehead and she knew he'd hit his head. Apparently a lot harder than she had, but she was fuzzy on where they were and what happened. She wished she knew what he was talking about, but they had never shared a bed. _That_ , she was certain of.

"Neither of us are going to sleep. _Wake. Up_!" Hawkeye tore her eyes away from Mustang for a moment to see where they were. She could see bits of light filtering in, enough to see him but not much more. It was like they were in a cave, but one made of bricks, metal, construction material. _Think, Riza._ They'd been in some kind of battle. Were the men trapped as well? Did they come with or was she chasing after the colonel on one of his destructive "hunches"?

She could only see her commanding officer and moved her attention back to him. He was to her right, his right arm pinned. She could see bone sticking through skin at an angry angle, and his glove was soaked in blood. He was flat on his back, same as her. One particular brick lay by his head, generously splattered dark red. There was quite a bit of blood actually, around both of them. Reaching up, she discovered a similar gash across her head. Concussion. That made sense. It wasn't helpful, but at least she could confirm why she was so confused.

" _ROY!_ " Finally, she got him to open his eyes.

He stirred again. "Stay awake, sir. That's an order." It was clear Mustang had a major head injury on top of broken bones. His legs were pinned down too, but she couldn't tell if they were broken like his arm.

"Riza, what happened?" Did our house fall down?" She had tried before but went to move to him with renewed energy, only to scream in pain, falling back down as she did. There was a piece of rebar sticking out of her side and embedded in the floor, keeping her completely in place. They both turned their heads to face the other, and he stretched his free hand towards her. They were just far enough apart that they couldn't reach across the gap between them. In assessing this, she realized her other hand was a mangled mess. The pain in her side and the terror when the Colonel wouldn't respond had been distracting enough that she hadn't really checked herself for injuries. She was impaled, obviously. That wasn't promising. Her left hand was a mass of bone and blood, and she winced just looking at it. She'd been in pain before but this was overwhelming. Still, she had a duty, and the focus helped. Hawkeye wished she could remember why they were there, or where 'there' was.

It was the scream that finally got him. Roy Mustang's eyes snapped open completely and zeroed in on her. The glaze over his vision momentarily disappeared. "Don't move. You can't open your wound." Right now, she wasn't bleeding much but if the piece of metal was dislodged he had no doubt she'd bleed out. The pool underneath her already made him sick to his stomach. He didn't give a damn about his own injuries but yelled in anger, practically shaking the remaining foundation under him, when he couldn't get his legs or arm free.

"I'm so sorry, we should have checked the structural integrity closer. You were just so in love with this place." Mustang paused and frowned. "Why are we in uniform?"

xxxxx

Falman, Fuery, and Breda were on the scene with Havoc and assorted military personnel barely a minute after the collapse. The group had been trying to clear a path inside but Scar had made sure it would be almost impossible. Every stone they moved just shifted another into the newly empty space. His words rang in Havoc's ears...a slow and painful death. He had made the building fall this way on purpose. If his friends were alive, they probably weren't in the best shape.

"Come on, we have to move faster." Havoc tried to escape the medic looking him over but he was having about as much luck as the friends in question. He had made it out but not unscathed. Ribs and cuts would heal. Burns would fade. He didn't care that the military nurse was hot as hell and that spoke volumes on its own.

"We will work diligently and quickly-and safely." Breda and Havoc seemed to be running point on this surprise mission..and both were more than ready to pass the torch back to Mustang. They all called out for Mustang and Hawkeye as they worked but got no answer. The team and the reinforcements thought they'd heard a muffled scream from Hawkeye, and one from the Colonel as well, which told the group that they'd at least survived. But they hadn't heard anything since and that had been a disturbingly long time ago.

xxxxxxxxxx

Mustang was fading in and out. He was somewhere else and Hawkeye was losing the battle to keep him with her.

"I think we were fighting." She had to stay awake herself, blinking back exhaustion.

"Why were we fighting? I did something stupid, I bet." He studied her face, feeling guilty for the unknown transgression. "I'm sorry for whatever it was. We're going to get out of here, Riza, I promise. And then I'm burning a few contractors to crisps."  
He looked down at his arm and winced, a mirror of her discovering her destroyed hand.

"Or I might have to get creative." He refused to let her see how much pain he was in. What he was feeling had to count double for her. Those injuries...she was the strongest person he knew, but how long could Riza-

 _No_.

Roy refused to let that train of thought continue.

If they didn't get help soon they were both dead. And even if they did escape...she wasn't sure if she'd be able to use her hand again. And then how could she protect him? What use would she be? Hawkeye realized they were both lost in thought and snapped him out of his with her. She couldn't think about that now. Her only goal was to get him out of there alive.

"No, I don't think so. I think we were in an actual battle. Focus, sir, what day is it?"

"Sunday, I told you." That couldn't be right. She usually took the day off and there was no way she could get him to work on the weekend. Unless they were after something big. What was their last assignment?

"...And if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to sleep. He looked at her and his lips turned up in a...loving? smile. She knew that expression well even If it was hard to place...the grin he tried to hide since they were teenagers, usually, but not always, succeeding. "You look beautiful this morning, like every morning. Nothing can change that, blood, bruises, nothing. I promise we'll get out of here.." He was coherent enough to be worried about her, but still didn't seem to understand what was happening. Not that Riza had much of a grasp herself.

"Sir, you said 'our house.' What does it look like?" Immobilized and confused, the only thing she could do was keep him talking. As long as it kept them conscious...conscious meant alive. Besides, she was curious about this other world. Where they bought a house and slept in on Sundays and he knew what she looked like in the morning.

"You picked it, Riza, you should know."

"Humor me."


	2. Dream House

Chapter 2: Dream House

A/N: _since this series is set before the end of season 2, I had to take some liberties with this chapter, as well as any others that take place in the "future", when it comes to where characters are and what they're up to._

 _Hopefully no one is too OOC. If they are, let me know!_

 _~A.H._

 **1902**

 _Riza dragged Roy away from his studies the moment Master Hawkeye left for the afternoon. Confused but too burned out to argue, he shrugged and followed. She released his hand when she was confident he wasn't going to lag too far behind and he couldn't stop his face from falling slightly._

" _Where are we going?" They were outside, Riza leading him along the back path and towards the woods just past the edge of the property._

" _For a walk. I've spent too much time inside and you've spent twice as much as me. Not sure you've seen the sun in 6 months now and it's finally nice out. So, walk."_

 _He scrambled a little to catch up and match her pace. They reached the edge of the forest and Riza ducked under a branch to continue down the now dirt path before them. He lifted it just a moment too late for his chivalry to be useful._

 _They continued along in comfortable quiet, Riza idly pulling apart a dry leaf as they went. She always looked happier when she was away from the house. Freer almost._

" _If you could live anywhere, where would it be?" His question broke the silence and surprised them both. Riza thought carefully and didn't respond until the leaf was in tatters in her hand._

" _Somewhere peaceful. I've liked living by the woods. But that doesn't matter, as long as it feels like home. I guess I won't know until I get there._

 _Anyway, why?"_

" _Just curious." Riza and Roy left it at that, and she deftly steered the discussion to other topics. He nodded along with her but his thoughts wandered to how much he wished he could make that happen._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh! This is one of my favorites, the main drawing room. Each chandelier is made of imported crystal with 24 karat gold detail. Slightly different than the ones in the halls, but you'll notice the former owners matched them quite well to the secondary drawing room."

Riza sighed to herself, glancing around the excitable pile of pink fabric and taking a look. This was not what she had in mind when she and Roy had decided to buy a house. After he'd been promoted Roy had started looking for somewhere new and had hoped to surprise her with the perfect home. With the raise that came with his new title, they could go live much anywhere and were out of excuses to stay in what had once been Riza's apartment. The amount of time and energy it took to move had them putting it off for years, but being in the heart of the city was starting to become a pain. Besides, what was one more stressor in their life? There were already enough they would hardly notice another.

He didn't have much time to look, and while Riza figured out his plan almost immediately, neither did she. Gracia put them in touch with the real estate agent who had helped her and Maes find their home and they followed her lead. They were not expecting a hyperactive middle aged woman in bright, garish pink to be waiting for them in front of the first location on the list. Riza could feel a headache forming near her temples just at the colour.

They weren't exactly what she had been picturing either. The couple was well known, of course, famous even. But they were also extremely private. Except for stories of military exploits in the newspaper no one knew much of anything about the Mustangs. Juliana Turner had been hoping for an inside peek at the mysterious war heroes but instead discovered how they remained so secretive. She watched them wander throughout the first floor looking at each other but never saying anything. Every so often one would gesture and it became obvious they were having a conversation. She had already noticed how they seemed to anticipate the others movements and adjust unconsciously, every step forward as graceful as a dance. In the 25 years she'd been showing houses she had never seen anything quite like them.

Juliana was able to reign them in once in awhile, but mostly, they were in their own world. It didn't stop her from trying, everything around them screamed 'Famous General' and she was certain she'd found their dream house on her first attempt. A sale like this would be huge for her. And they would be happy too, of course.

"If you'll look down the hall to the left, you'll see the formal dining room. Plenty of space for hosting, Mrs. Mustang."

Riza had already excused an impressive amount of inappropriate comments within the first 20 minutes of meeting this 'Juliana' woman. Even the predominantly stoic Hawkeye was starting to crack a bit. The gates surrounding the house _would_ be good to keep a child safe. Children _would_ enjoy playing on the large front and backyards. True statements that had no bearing on their current life. She wondered exactly how many kids this woman expected Riza to have as she watched the third party plan the rest of her life.

Gracia had made it seem like a good idea, but the process was the opposite of productive. And, she noted, they should have taken Gracia's advice with a grain of salt. She and Maes had always found the good in everyone. Roy had only been on her bad side once, after Maes' bachelor party, and even then it was like being killed with kindness. She also had the patience of a saint, something Roy or Riza had never claimed or attempted to be.

"It's actually Captain Hawkeye and thank you, good to know. The General over there tends to plan the parties." Riza's voice was even as she peeked inside. "It does look formidable, I'll have to let him know the next time the government shows up for a ball we'll be able to seat everyone."

Roy had kept going and she went to find him while trying to hide a tiny smile. The woman had hinted about a thousand times that the many spare rooms could be nurseries and how much she would love the kitchen. Roy was well aware of how much it was grating on her nerves….Riza kept her cool remarkably well and humored her but at some point, enough was enough.

"Hope you didn't scare her." He murmured, looping her arm through his.

"Just cleared up a few misconceptions."

"Mm. I bet." They kept moving while the object of their ire stopped for a moment in shock. She couldn't tell if Riza was sincere or not but she definitely knew she was in over her head. The amount of gossip she was going to come away with would be paltry at best, and not worth the nervous breakdown they would inevitably lead to. She started mentally flipping through her coworkers, trying to think of someone who would be better equipped to handle the Captain and General.

There were staircases lining each side of the unnecessarily large entryway, curving to meet at the second floor landing. Most of the house seemed unnecessary in Roy's opinion. When the hell would they need a drawing room let alone two? They were barely home as it was. His list of must haves consisted of 1. a place for a bed and 2. whatever would make Riza happy. He would be perfectly fine living in this simultaneously stuffy, yet frigid, mansion if she wanted.

Every room was a variation on the same theme. Riza assumed that the dark wood paneling and marble tile was supposed to be some kind of class statement. To her it just felt cold. It wasn't a home, it was a museum.

The trio reached the end of what felt like an endless tour and returned to the entryway they'd started in. "This is certainly impressive." Roy looked over at the real estate agent. "But a bit much for just two people."

"Well it won't be just two people forever!" Juliana's eyes sparkled and he placed his hand lightly on the small of Riza's back, reminding her to remain calm. He didn't need to look to catch her dagger-filled glare, he could feel it just fine. If someone in the room had issues with their temper, it wasn't her. Mostly.

"It will be for the time being." He jumped in smoothly and gave the her his best Mustang smolder. "With work we barely have time to breathe let alone change diapers." He laughed and Riza tried not to roll her eyes as the woman played right into Roy's hands.

"Oh of course, General. I've heard so many stories, life can't be boring for heroes like yourselves!"

Heroes. They kept their faces passive but winced inwardly. That was another thing they didn't claim to be and for damn good reason.

Riza looked at her watch and gestured to Roy. "We need to be at the office asap, we have a debrief with Elizabeth that almost slipped my mind. Ms. Turner, I apologize but we'll have to continue this later." The woman nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll compile a list of homes more to your taste in the meantime." Juliana tried not to let her relief show but she didn't quite succeed. Roy wondered what his wife had done to the woman but he'd found it was better to not ask.

"That sounds great. Have a good day, ma'am." Riza followed Roy out of the house and into the car. She leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes until the laughter Roy had been holding back burst out. She jumped and turned to face him. "What's so funny?"

He turned the car on and started down the long driveway. The unwelcome presence of the house and Ms. Turner disappeared in the rearview. "That's your mother's watch."

"Yes."

"That thing hasn't worked in at least 15 years."

"Yes."

"Escape Route E."

"You continue to state the obvious." She was trying not to join her husband but it was difficult to keep a straight face while he chuckled to himself.

"Adding the watch bit was genius. I love you."

"Still stating the obvious." But Riza smiled.

"You really hated that place." The "meeting with Elizabeth" was a tried and true scenario to get them out of unpleasant social situations but he hadn't been expecting her to use it.

"I really did. She wasn't exactly a prize herself."

"There are plenty of places that don't look like the set of a murder mystery play." Roy said confidently, shooting her a quick smile.

"I'm curious and afraid of what she'll have for us next. Mostly afraid." Riza mused while hoping they would never find out.

Xxxxxxxx

A few days later Roy found himself standing with Riza in front of a modest two story white brick home on the outskirts of Central. If Roy didn't know any better he'd say it was practically….a suburb. "This one." He followed Riza's gaze to the structure before them.

"We haven't seen inside yet." He pointed out, but she just smiled. She'd seen the 'for sale' sign and immediately made an appointment to look. There was something about it that drew her in.

"Let's go, then." They were without their tail today and Roy already preferred this audience free version of house hunting. The realtor let them in and gave them a quick rundown before checking his watch and rushing out to a meeting he was seemingly late for, yelling an "It's an honour to meet you" over his shoulder.

Roy and Riza stepped inside and into an open foyer. It was already completely different than what they'd seen previously. The ceiling stretched above the second floor to the roof, ending in two side by side skylights. A hall with pale hardwood floors stretched before them, peeling off at the end to the right where they could catch a glimpse of the kitchen. There were a few doors on either side, and Roy spotted an entrance to the backyard. To their immediate left was a living room with large windows, the light blue walls adding to the almost tranquil atmosphere that seemed to permeate the house. The high ceilings in there, and everywhere, made it seem much bigger than it appeared from the outside. A fireplace surrounded by built in shelving diverted Roy's attention but something else caught Riza's eye.

To the right of the entrance was a wide staircase with a set of stained glass doors at the base. Behind them was was could be a formal dining room, this one a much more reasonable size. Riza's gaze lingered on the doors, the objects that had drawn her over in the first place. The pattern of orchids in the glass was like nothing she'd seen before.

A door further along on the left lead to the first room. More windows, these facing what looked like a flower garden at the side of the house. Another skylight tucked above a reading nook in the corner filled the room with more natural light. "Hmm. Could be a good office." Roy mused, already distracted by the view outside. They opened a few more doors, finding a bathroom, sun room, and steps to the basement before the corridor ended

They looked through the kitchen with more approving nods. Hopefully Roy would stay out of there, she was getting tired of having to redo the one in their current place. While this one was at least twice the size he would destroy it just as quickly. The upstairs held another bathroom and two sizable bedrooms along with what appeared to be a study or den. A deck jutted out directly in front of them, the back yard and the trees beyond visible through the sliding glass door. Roy took it in and smiled. Riza had never been one for the crowds of the city. They were close enough that it would be easy enough to get to work but standing there, facing the small forest, the chaos downtown couldn't be farther away.

 _Peaceful_. She'd used that word, once. He hadn't forgotten, even though she might've. Instead he'd stored it away with the small hope it would come in handy some day. He never thought he would be lucky enough for it to be of use.

"Roy….?" He looked up with a start. Riza tilted her head to the side. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just got lost for a second. What were you saying?"

"I was saying we'd need to paint most of the rooms. The living room and study are fine, and the kitchen and bathrooms too. But this orange colour..." She'd frowned involuntarily at the sight of the walls of the master bedroom, and the lemon-yellow of the second bedroom had elicited a similar reaction.

"Agreed." The last occupants had questionable taste to say the least, but the only thing he could see that needed work was toning down the walls. Otherwise, it seemed like they could move right in.

He watched Riza cross to the window, staring out and playing with the chain holding her dog tags and his wedding band. He wore hers in the same fashion and patted his own chain, feeling it under his collar. He was never completely without her on the rare occasions they were apart. She'd teased him the first morning he put her tags on by accident, but she admitted that it was strangely comforting when she tried it herself.

Breaking out of his latest reverie, Roy moved behind Riza and wrapped his arms around her waist. He understood why she had fallen for this. Even on the outside it was bright and full of life. She'd known before they'd set foot inside that this light, comfortable, _normal_ house was the opposite of the sprawling, decrepit estate she'd grown up in. And she'd known it was exactly where they were supposed to be.

"I love it too. It's peaceful." The surprise on her face when she turned in his grasp proved his hypothesis-her idea of a perfect home hadn't changed since they were teenagers.

A smile spread across Riza's lips and she relaxed against her husband, leaning her back against his chest while he kissed her hair. She couldn't help let out a happy sigh as she memorized the moment. This was it, they were home.

 **2 weeks later**

When the team discovered that the General and Captain finally bought a house they were more than happy to help them settle in. More accurately, they had insisted. Hawkeye made the mistake of calling Winry to check in on the progress of her wedding and the girl weaseled out what Roy and Riza still had to do. The ceremony was months away but she was prone to panic when Ed and Al were away. Riza checked in regularly to help calm Winry's nerves, and it was supposed to had been a routine conversation. After all, she knew a thing or two about worrying for a man who loved nothing more than to put himself in danger.

That morning Falman, Fuery, Havoc, and Breda had appeared at their soon-to-be former apartment with cans of paint and a declaration that they were going on an adventure. It was so early she was sure Roy would have killed them all if he had woken up.

They had come armed with supplies to paint every room in the house that needed it, in what appeared to be colours she'd been thinking of. They weren't going to move in until it was done and she was anxious to get started but hadn't had a second to spare. Riza didn't have to think very long to realize the ringleader.

 _We could use Winry in Investigations._

She convinced the men to meet them at the house after Breda started to joke about waking Roy. She politely informed them there were ignition gloves on one nightstand and a loaded gun on the other. Their imaginations did the rest.

Xxxxxx

"You picked a great house, Captain Hawkeye!" Al waved an armored hand high in the air, flanked by Ed and Winry. They hadn't stopped working to get their bodies back and the combined stubbornness of Ed and Roy ensured they would get there someday. It didn't matter how many years they'd spent or how many more it would take, not a single person who had met them had given up.

"Winry." Riza eyed her, smiling. "This was your doing." It was a statement, not a question.

The younger woman nodded. "As soon as you mentioned buying a house I started thinking of ways to help. Then you said you wanted to repaint and, here we are! I found a few sets of spare hands as well." The men saluted Winry and she blushed.

"How did you pick the colours, though?"

"Well, first I took what you told me about the house and the colours you wanted to get rid of. Then I thought about when we see you outside the office, in civilian clothes. You choose neutral colours and cooler tones. Very classic, understated. After that it fell into place. I hope you like them!"

 _Really though, Investigations._

"They seem perfect."

After they'd let everyone in, given a tour, and set up, the group split into teams and each took a room. Al suggested they make it a race, an idea which was promptly shut down. Though in the back of their minds all 9 were planning on winning.

Roy, Havoc and Fuery were painting the bedroom, Breda and Falman in the dining room. Riza and Ed, and Al and Winry, took the remaining two bedrooms, one of which would be an office and the other a guest room. Roy looked around and shook his head, not being able to hide his smile. They had some damn good friends, even if it they decided to show it at the crack of dawn.

Everyone was focused on being the first to finish so for a rare moment the chatter among Team Mustang was minimal. Fuery, Roy, and Havoc were making good time, especially considering they'd taken on the challenge of the largest room. "Can you pass me that brush?" Havoc turned to Fuery, handing him the smallest one they had to paint around the fireplace. Fuery tried to keep a straight face when he caught sight of his superior. In wiping sweat off his brow he'd succeeded in dragging sage paint across his forehead, and his hair for good measure. He glanced over at the General, who gave him a conspiratorial wink. Fuery had been thinking of a way to get back at him for a prank last week and if memory served, Rebecca was coming later and the man looked ridiculous-and clueless.

"Sorry I can't transmute the paint onto the walls." Ed had attempted it, but the experiment didn't turn out well. At least he'd kept the paint from hitting him or Hawkeye.

"We ended up with so much help, I wouldn't worry." She smiled. She and Roy had planned to do it themselves, which, while daunting, was just like them. They hadn't even considered asking their friends. "Thank you again for coming out here, you really didn't have to." The surprise that had taken them earlier in the day when they saw the men had doubled when they spotted the three kids-no, she corrected herself, adults now-on the porch. "I thought you two were heading out to Xing?" She mentally went over their latest trip itinerary and confirmed they should have left yesterday.

"No harm in waiting another few days. Had to make sure we approved, after all. I was worried _General_ Bastard had chosen the place and not you." The alchemist made sure his voice carried throughout the whole home.

"Brother!" Al yelled when he heard Ed's voice float down from upstairs. Winry took a brush, dipped it in the can of dusty blue, and walked calmly up the stairs to the guest room. Maybe this would motivate him to learn to be polite. She approached Ed from behind and tapped his shoulder to get his attention. He turned, surprised, and smiled at seeing her.

"Hey! What's-"

"Grow up." Winry ran the paintbrush down the side of his face nonchalantly. He stood there, stunned, as his fiancée turned and went back to her own workspace without another word.

He reached up and touched his cheek. Hairline to jaw, a nice narrow stripe of "Office". After a moment Ed sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Could be worse. Coulda been a wrench." Still, he left the room and leaned over the railing. "That wasn't exactly mature, you know!"

The commotion drew Havoc out of his designated room and into the hall. The way Edward's eyes lit up concerned him.

"You ok Chief?"

"I'm great, now that I don't have to suffer alone." Havoc looked even more confused. "Though "Hawkeye and Mustang's Room" probably doesn't suit you as well as "Hawkeye and Mustang's Office" suits me."

Riza ducked her head out of the spare bedroom and sighed. She was surprised only two of the men had had some kind of incident so far. That was a record low but the day was still young. She made a gesture in front of her forehead. "You have a little something…" Riza doubted an elite group of the Amestrian military was what that crazy woman had in mind but she had plenty of children without the ones the realtor had been conjuring.

"You better be hiring movers Boss!" Havoc shouted down the hall after he saw what they meant. He was never going to hear the end of this when Rebecca came.

"Like I want to do that myself. Of course we're getting movers."

"Lazy bastard!" Ed and Roy got along much better than they had in the past but some things were never going to change.

"Not like you'd be able to help anyway, you'd have to be able to see over the coffee table to carry it." Roy yelled, unseen, continuing his work by the entrance of the kitchen. Ed's eyes bugged out and Riza sighed again.

"YOU KNOW FOR A FACT I'VE GROWN 3 INCHES, AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES EVERY TIME IT RAINS!"

 _So many children._

"Guys. Play nice. Winry's been a real loose cannon today. You don't want to be her next mark." Breda made a good point, though they all knew her wrath would be unleashed on Edward and him alone.

"I have no idea how Miss Riza handles all of you."

"We know how she handles the boss!"

Ed's final comment drew Roy out of his spot towards the hooligans he called friends. When he had their attention he furrowed his brow and snapped. He didn't have a glove on but Ed, Breda, and Havoc still jolted.

"Ok, ok." Breda raised his hands in surrender.

"And _I'm_ the loose cannon?"

 **5 (more) weeks later**

"Riza!" Roy shouted, irritated. He wasn't expecting a reply, so he was pleasantly surprised when she came into the room wrapped in a towel and using another to dry her hair.

"What is it?"

"Where are the measuring cups? I can't find them." Every door to every cabinet was open.

They'd been there for about a month and were almost unpacked. Roy was having a hilariously hard time finding anything, even though he had done half the work. She didn't realize how deep he had sunk into routine at their old apartment until she caught him staring helplessly at the cabinets the other day looking for a mug. Much like that very moment.

"What do you want measuring cups for?"

"I'm making dinner." That dreaded phrase.

"How about I make dinner, and you go change. And shower." She wiped a bit of soot off his cheek. It had been a long day…

"But Riza-"

"Roy." She returned his smirk and moved forward towards him.

"Fine, fine." He stopped and looked closely at his wife.

"You haven't gotten dressed yet?" She nodded. She'd barely gotten in the shower in the first place, the telltale smell of Roy in the kitchen chasing her out.

"Didn't have time. I smelled something burning and you're easily distracted." He didn't know if she was referring to her current state of manipulative undress or how he always walked away from the stove. Either way, she was right.

"Now go." She smiled, sliding his jacket off and draping it over the back of a chair. "You haven't even changed yet. And you smell like Havoc." They'd been stuck staking out a target for most of the day and Roy's uniform had suffered for it. Riza was mercifully perched away from them, partly for reconnaissance and partly because she'd thrown Havoc's cigarettes out of the car window last time. No one had time to repeat that tantrum.

Roy leaned down to kiss her and she shoved him lightly towards the stairs. He complied but pouted.

"You're evil." He called over his shoulder.

"You're well aware." She called back, trying to figure out the scene before her. _What was he even trying to make?_ She realized just how tired she was when she thought about salvaging whatever was in front of her. Was that applesauce in a skillet?

 _What the hell, Roy?_ She sighed and turned off the burners, including one that was on high with nothing cooking on top. Takeaway it was.

Without having to put out literal and figurative fires, Riza found herself with some spare time and an idea. Steam funneled out into the hall when she opened the bathroom door, obscuring her vision completely for a moment. She had no idea how he could stand water that hot, it was freaking scalding.

"Riza?"

"Turn the hot water down a little." She requested with a smile. His peered around the curtain with a grin and a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am!" He added enough cold to adjust the water to a temperature normal humans would find tolerable.

"Couldn't fix dinner?" He tried to sound innocent, an exercise in futility. All at once, Riza put it together….getting her to join him had been his endgame all along. They'd been playing each other and it looked like he'd won this time. Not that she minded. In this instance, they both won.

Riza dropped her towel and folded it neatly next to the sink. She caught a glance of something out of the corner of her eye and frowned, her attention drawn up at the ceiling.

"Riza, it's cold." Roy moaned, moving out from behind the curtain again. "What're you looking at?"

"Nothing. Just a crack up there I didn't notice before.." She gestured above her head.

"We'll have someone take a look. But not if I die from hypothermia." So dramatic.

"You're lucky I love you."

"I know."

She took one last look above her before Roy's whining wore her down.


	3. Stormy Break

Chapter 3: Stormy Break

 _AN: Hey everyone! PurpleMaple here! Bringing you some young royai fluffiness to brighten your day! Feel free to call out any OOC. Appreciate the feedback! Enjoy!_

"The rain is really coming down isn't it?" Roy spoke, his form hunched up in a worn chair by the window.

"You've been living here for the past year and a half Mr. Mustang. The weather shouldn't really surprise you by this point." Riza was sitting on the couch in the center of the room, her gaze never leaving the book in her lap.

"I've never seen it rain this hard though…And I also don't respond to formalities Riza, unless your father is around, which he isn't at the moment. You know my name, you should use it."

A 15 year old Riza just rolled her eyes as she got up and turned towards the kitchen. Roy, who had just turned 17, continued to stare out the window, neglecting his work, again.

"Mr. Mustang, shouldn't you be working on the new assignment my father gave you? By the size of the book in your hand, it looks like you have your work cut out for you this time." Riza proceeded to walk over to Roy, carrying a large empty pot she'd retrieved from the kitchen.

"Did you hear me Mr. Mustang… Roy? ROY!"

The dark haired boy still didn't respond, too absorbed watching the thunder clouds roll in over the countryside. A fed up Riza flicked her bangs out of her eyes before dropping the large pot in her hands, the loud bang startling Roy back into reality.

"Why are you so out of it? Are you drunk?"

The look Roy gave her could have melted steel. Riza wasn't fazed though, hers rivaled the intensity of the sun when she wanted it to.

"For your information, I've never been drunk in my life!"

"Then why did I find one of my father's whiskey bottles behind your nightstand in your room this morning?"

"Why were you in my room?!"

"I was cleaning it like I do every week!"

"...Why do you have a pot?"

Riza rolled her eyes at Roy's abrupt change in topic. She placed her right hand on her hip and gestured to the ceiling with her left, where he could see patches of the plaster slowly darken.

"The roof usually leaks during a bad storm, and I would prefer staying dry if I'm inside. Plus father would have a fit if his books got wet."

Roy looked down and noticed how his pile of borrowed books was situated under the growing dark spot on the ceiling. He gently nudged the books out of the way with his foot, Riza setting down the pot in their place.

"Does Master Hawkeye know about the leaks?" Roy spoke as he put his book aside and turned to fully face Riza.

"He probably does, he's just too..occupied with his work. Plus the house is getting old. We don't have the money to completely fix it. So, I just fix it with what I can find."

"Wait, are you telling me you're the one doing all the repairs?!"

"Does that really surprise you? You know it's just been me and my father for years, Roy. You've been the first long term apprentice in a long time. Besides, someone has to keep up with the house work."

"You could have asked you know."

"You need to focus on your work. You don't have time to do these kinds of things."

Roy glanced up at the ceiling and put a hand to his chin.

"You know, I could try and.."

"No alchemy. Knowing you, you'd cause the roof to collapse."

Roy's shoulders slumped as he returned his gaze to Riza.

"How cruel.."

Riza rolled her eyes at the puppy dog expression Roy had tried to adopt.

"Maybe when you are a bit more advanced, I'll _consider_ letting you fix the roof."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Roy moved from his chair by the window to the couch. He sat down and watched as Riza headed to the kitchen.

"Hey Riza?" Roy waited until she turned to face him before continuing. "I've been living in this house for a while now and I still feel like I barely know you."

This surprised the young blonde, though she didn't show it.

"What's with the sudden fascination?"

Roy shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm not too sure. I guess I don't want to be strangers, I want to get to know you better."

There was a moment when Roy thought she wouldn't answer.

He let a small smile appear on his face as she approached the couch, and he scooted over and patted the seat beside him. Riza looked at him expectantly, trying to determine if he had an ulterior motive. She only saw curiosity and kindness in his dark eyes. Trusting him, she walked over and sat beside him. Keeping a respectable distance.

"So what would you like to know?"

Roy just shrugged.

"Let's start with something simple like.. cats or dogs?"

"Dogs. Though I've never had a dog or a cat. I've seen some of the neighborhood kids with them. They seem so lively and energetic. I'd like to have one of my own someday. What about you?"

"Oh definitely dogs. They are loyal and obey your every command. They are great companions."

"When you talk like that you sound like a soldier."

 _TAP TAP_

Both teens looked towards the ceiling to see that the dark patch was now leaking, right into the pot Riza had set out.

"Good call on getting that pot."

"Thanks."

"Okay… favourite colour?"

"I would have to say green. And you?"

"I've always liked royal blue myself. I've been told it goes with my eyes." Roy plastered that stupid grin on his face, while Riza shoved him playfully.

The longer they talked, they both subconsciously moved closer to each other. The loud, constant _TAP_ of the water dripping was drowned out by their chatter. To Riza at least.

"So you've honestly never been drunk?"

"Just because my aunt runs a bar doesn't mean I drink. She raised me to be a gentlemen. Not to drink myself senseless."

"So that hidden bottle of whiskey means you're a gentlemen?"

"Okay two things. One, the seal wasn't broken so I hadn't had a drop. Two, it was a gift for your father before I leave for the summer. I did look through his cabinet before my aunt got the whiskey to make sure I got his preferred kind. So yes, I am a gentlemen."

"I think you and I have different definitions of gentleman."

"Did the rain bring out the sass in you today?"

 _TAPTAPTAP_

"Is there anywhere else we could go Riza? That noise is really starting to get on my nerves."

She shook her head.

"Unfortunately no. The kitchen has even more leaks than in here, and we can't exactly go to our rooms to continue our talk. Even with father shut away, it doesn't mean he still doesn't know everything that's going on. And I don't want him to make assumptions and make you leave. Can you bear with it?" Roy gave in easily enough, with a small blush.

" _I don't think Riza knows how persuasive she can be when she uses her eyes like that."_ And, she didn't want him to go either...the blush deepened before he was able to get it back under control and face her again.

"Okay Riza, you ask a question now."

She didn't miss a beat to respond.

"Do you miss Central?"

Roy looked away and thought about it for a moment before returning his gaze to hers.

"I missed it more in the beginning than I do now. I do get the occasional letter from my aunt and sisters. It's always great to hear from them, even if it's only through ink and paper."

"At least you will be able to see them this summer, right?"

Roy gave her a sincere smile. "Right." " _And then I get to come back and see you again."_

Riza quickly changed the subject before her mind delved too deeply into the thought of spending the summer alone.

"So back to where we were before..Favourite food?"

"To be honest I can't decide, I like spinach quiche I guess."

Riza stared at him like he had two heads.

"How can you not have a favourite food? But since you said you like spinach quiche I'll have to remember that the next time I'm making dinner, I can see if I have a recipe from some of my mom's old recipe books. For myself I would have to say...raspberries."

 _TAPTAPTAPTAP_

They continued to talk, the dripping continuing right along with them- much to Roy's dismay. Riza seemed unfazed so he toughed through it. After a while he had built up the courage to ask a question that he hoped wouldn't end in him getting slapped.

"Riza..You don't have to answer this if you don't want to but have.. _TAP.._ you _..TAPTAP.._ everhad _..TAPTAP.._ had a _.._ _ **TAPTAPTAP**_ that's it! Where's some chalk?! I'm going to fix this damn leak. Even if I have to give up a part of myself to do it!" As Roy started to stalk out of the room he felt something grab his sleeve. He turned to Riza, a fond smile on her face.

"You've really got to learn to control that temper of yours. There's no need to go ballistic."

"I'm sorry, it's been grating on my nerves this entire time. And my patience has worn thin."

"I can tell...but...could you come back please? It can't get any worse right?"

Roy gave a small smile, which Riza happily returned as she began to pull him back into the center of the room.

"Now what was the question you wanted to ask me before?"

Roy took a deep breath, his cheeks grazed with the barest amount of pink. Why was he so nervous about asking a question?

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

Riza jerked back the slightest bit, her eyes widening the smallest amount. Before going back to their original size she shook her head.

"The boys around here are too dense. They only look for girls with the perfect body and don't care about anything else. Why do you need to know that?"

Roy tried to act as nonchalant as possible with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"No reason, just curious.."

 _TAPTAPTAPTAPTAP_

"Riza.. I am this close to murdering your house.. PLEASE let me fix it."

"If you're going to continue to complain about it then I guess you ca…' _ **CRACK**_ '.. Roy, what was that noise?" Riza's eyes met his, matching his slightly worried expression. They heard another sound, and both looked up to see that a large crack had formed across the ceiling, directly above their heads. Before they could move out of the way the plaster gave in, pieces of ceiling landing directly on Roy and Riza, covering them in dust and water. Both teens looked at each other, stunned, before breaking into fits of laughter at how ridiculous the other looked.

As their laughter grew louder, they heard a door swing open from upstairs followed by a gruff voice.

"Riza, Mustang! Keep it down! Shouldn't you be focusing on your studies? Remember you have a test this week. Leave my daughter alone and keep the noise to a minimum!"

"Sorry father!"

"Sorry Master Hawkeye!"

After the teens heard the door shut, they let loose a couple quiet chuckles before finally calming down.

"We better get cleaned off and clean this mess up." Riza dusted some plaster off of Roy's shoulders. Before she could remove her hand Roy had reached up and grasped it, lowering it but not letting go. His other hand reached up and gently wiped some dirt from her cheek and let it rest there. Before Riza could comprehend what was happening Roy's lips were already on her's. Before she could respond, his lips left.

"Let me ask you a question. Have you ever had a girlfriend?" Riza spoke softly, looking up through her bangs.

"I'd like to..." Roy's cheeks turned bright red before stuttering "If that's okay with you and all. I don't want to force you into something you don't want to do and.." His rambling was cut off by Riza lips. Once she realized he had calmed down, she pulled away.

It was enough of an answer for him...Roy spoke softly as he brushed bits of plaster out of her hair. "I'll start dusting, you go hop in the shower and get cleaned off."

"You sure about that?"

"I'm positive, now go."

Roy gently nudged a slightly blushing Riza in the direction of the stairs. He watched her ascend before stopping her.

"Hey Riza." He waited for her to turn before continuing. "Thank you for taking the time to talk..."

Riza gave Roy one last smile before continuing up the stairs. He turned and headed for the closet in search of a broom and pan. Though he had ended up covered in plaster and rain water, he felt a lightness in chest that he had never felt before.

 _Next up: Allison will be bringing you_ Edward and Alphonse Mustang _soon, stay tuned_


	4. Edward Mustang

Chapter 4: Edward Mustang

 _A/N: Been feeling pretty parental lately. There was a lot more Al in this before, but it was also a completely different story before. Hope you enjoy!_

 _~Allison_

Riza walked into the office, dropping her soaked coat on the rack inside the door. She already seemed tired and Roy looked her over as she sat down at her desk.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah sir, you're a mess." Havoc said with a misplaced but well intentioned grin.

"It's raining." Riza shot him a look but the Fuhrer spoke before she could.

"Not what I meant, jackass." Roy rolled his eyes and lobbed a pencil at the Lieutenant Colonel. "Did something go wrong on the way to school?"

"No. But you're taking them tomorrow." Which wasn't exactly the truth. Every morning was a struggle. Ed had started on about how he didn't want to go to school and fought her on it for ages. Again. Riza was tired of constantly being late, and she was also tired of being the bad guy all the time. Roy had yet to step up to do his fair share of disciplining. "We'll be switching schedules for the time being."

He hummed in acknowledgement, not looking forward to getting their kids to school. But that also meant he'd be able to come into work a little later….

When Riza had suggested a trip to the mailroom, actual work was not what he had in mind. Riza gathered up a stack of papers the Fuhrer would need later, passing them to him while he scowled and juggled his mug of coffee. She finished and they started the sizable walk back towards their office. They had to have a talk and she decided then was as good a time as any. At least the men weren't around.

"I told Edward he could go on a date with Winry." She spoke quietly enough not to be overheard by anyone else but there was no point. Roy had to fight not to spit his coffee, choking a little and sputtering. It elicited a more extreme reaction than the one she'd anticipated, but she should have taking his flair for dramatics into account.

"What?! Why would you do that?" The soldiers stationed along the hall jumped in alarm, breaking their stiff salutes for a moment. Both Mustangs ignored them and kept going.

"I don't want them to have to sneak around like we did." He was already about to argue whatever point she raised but stopped, mouth half open. Roy didn't want them to either, even if the circumstances were different.

"Besides, there's a few conditions. Edward has to get to school on time, do his homework, and go to class. So there's a good chance you have nothing to worry about."

They'd barely stepped through the large double doors when Fuery tapped Riza's shoulder. "Sorry Captain Mustang, we're almost late for your meeting with General Armstrong." She sighed and nodded. Roy plopped down in his chair, arms crossed while trying his best to keep his face unreadable. As always, his wife saw through him immediately and moved away from Fuery for a moment.

"They're growing up, Roy." Riza said softly, catching the sadness in his eyes. Thank god they didn't have daughters, he was already an overprotective nightmare as it was. They might be a handful but there weren't words to explain how much she loved all three of her boys, and how thankful she was every day to have them. Even days like today.

"Winry's a great girl, it was only a matter of time."

"They're too young. Don't care how old we were, they're too young. Al and Ed were 10 and 11 yesterday."

Roy slumped further in his chair after Riza left, tapping his pen to the tune of Fuery's radio. He wanted to look out the window, but his desk wisely faced away from the view outside.

"Something on your mind, boss?" Havoc had been trying to ignore it but the tapping pen was really getting on his nerves. They all had their own offices, but had a soft spot for this one, and "Team Mustang", as they had discovered they'd been called, had each more or less made their old office their main one. Highly irregular for a Fuhrer, but Roy Mustang wasn't exactly a "regular" Fuhrer.

He spun his chair a little to look at his subordinate. "What makes you say that?" It was obviously rhetorical, even Jean could see he didn't want an answer.

"Anyway, what case were you thinking of putting Alphonse on?" Roy had entrusted Havoc with Alphonse Jean Mustang's first assignment, knowing he would take it seriously. His youngest was an aspiring public servant, something that worried him less than the boys' love of alchemy. A _little_ less. Why couldn't they have hobbies that didn't keep him and Riza constantly on edge?

"Well, two options. Safe and boring or potentially dangerous and exciting."

Roy sighed. "You know they'd find a way to meddle in the latter somehow. Brief me in 15, and you better not kill my kids." Didn't matter what the task was, if one son was doing something the other was almost inevitably by his side. He was perpetually terrified something would happen during Edward and Alphonse's 'adventures'...being Fuhrer and everything that came with it meant nothing if he didn't have them. Riza could take care of herself, and the kids knew more than a decent amount of self defense but if someone laid a hand on any of them...it would tear him apart until there was nothing left.

Havoc pushed around a few stacks of paperwork, pretending not to notice that Roy had once again slipped deep in thought. Riza and Fuery came back a little later, and a simple hand on his shoulder and a small smile seemed to do Roy a world of good. He smiled back and nodded at her unspoken question. He was ok, but still not fine with how quickly time was passing. The domestic aspect of their lives was something they had fallen into surprisingly easily, considering they didn't think they would ever be lucky enough to survive the war, let alone be able to get married and have children. Riza hadn't expected Roy to be quite so….like Maes after Edward was born. If there was a prouder father in Amestris she had yet to meet him. It had been sweet when it wasn't exhausting.

They managed to have a normal day until noon.

"Captain Mustang." Roy didn't look up; she got most of the calls in the office. But then he heard a phrase he dreaded and heard more often than he'd like.

"Edward did what?" Riza's voice was calm, but her husband knew better than to take her at her tone. There was fury in her eyes. "Yes, of course, I'll be there soon. No, please do keep him there. As I said, no special treatment. Yes, him too. I don't care about that, keep both of them in your office." She slammed the phone down into the cradle and everyone looked at her curiously.

"...What did he do?" They'd gotten this call before, usually Edward skipping class to study alchemy or talking back to his teachers when they were wrong. Riza's look betrayed something different. She stood up, straightening her uniform and grabbing her keys.

"Apparently Edward broke Ling Yao's nose. And no, you cannot come with me." She'd have enough to deal with when she got there and she was angry enough for the both of them. "Let's not turn this into an international incident."

"One of the kids from Xing?" She wasn't lying about the incident part. "This is your fault, _you_ told him he could date!"

"I did not tell him to punch a prince in the face. I'll be back, most likely with _your_ son."

xxxxxxxx

Riza strode into Central's private high school, acknowledging everyone who saluted her with a passing nod, not slowing until she reached her destination. She lingered in the entryway for a moment, gathering herself. She was known for keeping her cool just as much as she was for being the Hawk's Eye or Captain Mustang. The only exceptions seemed to tie back to someone sharing her surname.

"Edward." He turned to face his mother, pure terror etched across his features at her tone. He suddenly wished his dad had come instead, a rare thought in these situations.

Ling sat next to him looking just as angry as Edward was scared. So he wasn't innocent either. Somehow that didn't make her feel better. She wasn't really familiar with the boy... most of what she knew involved skirmishes with her oldest. He definitely knew how to push Edward's buttons.

Riza closed the door behind her and took the chair the principal offered. Ed started to speak and she shook her head to stop him. Instead she faced the much too timid man who ran the school. He seemed intimidated by the children and downright terrified of her. She had to bite back a smile at the passing thought of what the poor man would do if Roy showed up.

"What did they do?" Ed sulked and crossed his arms. He should have expected he wouldn't get to tell his side of things. She noted what appeared to be a bruise forming on his cheek and another above his eye but it was obvious who had won.

"They were physically fighting in the halls, as you can see. Winry Rockbell was also involved. She'll be joining us shortly"

"You dragged Winry into something like this?" Riza frowned. That wasn't like him. Ed turned purple, shaking his head so hard he nearly smacked himself with his braid.

"No! Of course not! This asshole was hitting on her!" He pointed at Ling. "And being a jerk about it, too! Mom, I don't think I've seen Winry that angry in a while."

"Yeah, but she punched him in the face too!" Ling chimed in gleefully, his voice distorted from the blow Ed had delivered. He looked ready to jump out of his chair and Riza cleared her throat. Immediately, her son sat still, but continued to glare at the prince.

"She punched you first!" Another look and he was silent.

 _Mom's going to kill me, and then dad's going to kill me again, and I'll never be able to apologize to Winry.._

"If I understand correctly, Edward, you attempted to cause a diplomatic dispute between Amestris and Xing because someone looked at Winry the wrong way?" He looked at the ground and mumbled an admission under his breath.

"For your boy, that sounds about right." Pinako appeared at the door with a very embarrassed granddaughter by her side.

"He had it coming." Pinako's eyes narrowed. Ed wasn't helping his case. The runt had dragged her granddaughter into a fight, and his snip at Ling was the last straw. The old woman slapped him upside the head with the force of one of his uncles and he winced. That was three people now who had hit him today, all because Ling was leering like a creep.

After a few moments of Ed and Pinako bickering, a representative for the Yao family arrived. Riza stepped out to speak with him, and both assured the other there was no harm done. She had been slightly concerned that having the school hold Ling would cause problems but as she'd anticipated, both the school and family caved easily when presented with her logic. She had a knack for that sort of thing and Riza blamed her husband. She had to get him out of so many dicey situations in the past...this was nothing.

Winry escaped unscathed, Pinako making sure to spin it as she was the one who had broken the fight up. Ling and Edward, however, each received three day suspensions.

Both squeaked when they were informed of their punishment. Edward had expected some sort of retribution but Ling had taken for granted the sway Riza Mustang had over pretty much everything. Even if the Emperor was planning to let him get away with taking a swing at the Fuhrer's son, it stopped when the Captain intervened.

The six filtered out of the office as the bell rang. Riza looked at Ed as they did, trying to figure out how to punish him when she obviously didn't have all the details. "You're coming to the office with me, we could use someone to alphabetize the files of the new recruits. This year's and the applicants for next."

"THAT'S LIKE, THE WHOLE MILITARY!" Pinako smacked him again but this time he shook it off. "Whatever. If I have to go to paperwork hell because of Winry that's fine." It was so similar to what she'd been telling her husband for years.. _._ Maybe Ed was a bit more like her than she thought.

Winry was redder than humanly possible. Ling had been getting on her nerves, but not because he was flirting with her. She was grateful to be able to peel away from the group and return to class. "I'll tell Al if he hasn't heard."

Riza smiled. "Thank you, Winry. If you can, remind him to come by Central Command at the end of the day."

"No problem!" She gave her godmother a half wave and rushed away.

Pinako turned her wrath to Ling before they parted ways. "You're supposed to run a country one day, young man. You should focus on your studies and not girls. Especially not my granddaughter."

"Hey she started it. I was just saying that the runt here should be glad he's not in my shoes and inheriting Amestris, cause there's no way he could be a ruler. She got pissed off, and," Ling shrugged, gesturing at his face. "You know the rest."

" **Who do you think you're calling a runt you** …" Ed, about to jump at Ling again, stopped mid-move. "...What?"

"She must like you, she got _really_ mad."

"Enough, Ling." Riza could only keep her son at bay for so long.

"Sorry, Captain." Ling caught sight of himself in a passing window and winced. He was going to look like hell tomorrow. At least he didn't have to be seen at school.

Edward followed his mother to her car, looking at the sidewalk like he hoped it would swallow him whole.

"I told your father we were going to let you date."

"And you're taking that back."

Riza was near expressionless, something her family and team had come to recognize as the face of a woman at least five steps ahead of them. She wasn't upset with Edward, not after hearing the explanation she'd been waiting on. It was still unacceptable behaviour, of course, but his heart had been in the right place.

"You need to get your temper under control, Ed. You can't just go around starting fights. Let's see what he has to say." The fact that she didn't automatically shoot him down was all the encouragement he needed, but then again, Edward had no idea what mood Roy was going to be in.

"...Did you take Dad's gloves before you left?"

xxxxxx

By the time they came back Roy had retreated to his personal office to fume. Edward was a good kid. He really was. He was beyond proud of his sons, consistently asking himself how he'd ended up so damn lucky. He'd won the jackpot with his wife and kids, and yet his attempts at interacting with his eldest son apparently continuously got on the boy's nerves. He was so smart, so resourceful, and so annoyed at his dad.

He was certain Ed resented him for not teaching him flame alchemy. Roy could still picture the scrunched up tear stricken face of a 10 year old, screaming that it wasn't fair. At first he was upset because wanted to be just like his father, but then it evolved into Edward becoming convinced his parents didn't think he was smart enough. They couldn't agree on the right time to tell them the story that led to Roy's inheritance of the most powerful alchemy in Amestris so they just hadn't. It made him feel like a coward.

No matter how old, he had no idea how he'd explain what Berthold had done to Riza, or what he had done to her as a result. There was no reason to burden the boys with that, not when they heard so many stories about their mother and father already. No, this was a secret that would finally die with him and Riza.

A quiet knock on the door shook him out of his thoughts. That was unusual, Ed usually burst in, whether he had good news, bad news, or wanted to yell about something. It was almost always that last one.

"Come in, kid." Riza was standing behind Edward, her hand on his shoulder as she shut the doors behind them. He had been nervous the entire way and now that he was there, he couldn't read his father's face at all. It put him even more on edge. "So, what happened?"

Ed looked up and sighed. "Ling was bothering Winry and he wouldn't back off. I just couldn't watch it." He hated when he had to apologize but hated it most when he had to to his father. "Look, I'm sorry Dad, but I would do the same thing again."

"Ed." His name came out of Riza's mouth as a sigh. It went without saying, of course he would, but still…

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Both his wife and son looked at him and Roy smiled. "We raised you to stand up for others after all." Ed turned pink, certain his mom would fill in all the more embarrassing details later. "That being said, you can't resort to violence. We also raised you better than that. Riza, I'm assuming you have a punishment already in mind?" They really needed to have that chat about him doing anything other than coddling them.

"He's to sort through the recruits and alphabetize them. He has three days off to do it." Roy couldn't help but laugh, and nodded. That was a hell of a job.

"That Yao prince must be in bad shape. I can't condone what you did, but I would be lying if I said I was angry. Finish that work and whatever else your mother finds for you and…" He couldn't believe he was agreeing to this,. "...you can go out when your suspension is complete. If Winry will have you, that is." Roy didn't try to hide his smirk. Riza just shook her head... _now_ he was ok with Edward dating Winry? No matter how many years went by, occasionally, her husband was still able to surprise her.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure…." Ed dug his shoe into the carpet, not looking at his parents. If he did, he would have seen both smile. He was the only one with any doubt about Winry's feelings. Riza patted his shoulder as his stomach rumbled. He was on the small side, she had no idea where all the food he was constantly eating was going. She made dinners for at least 6 instead of 4.

"First things first, how does lunch sound?" Roy loudly cleared his throat, trying his best to imitate a noise similar to Ed's stomach. Riza rolled her eyes. "Home it is then, you can both get plenty done while we eat." Each sighed but got up quickly. They'd have to do some homework and some paperwork but Riza's cooking more than made up for it.

" _All three are children."_ She shook her head, leading her family outside.

Xxxxxx

They found themselves around the kitchen table a little while later, Roy and Edward devouring everything in sight . Riza got up to make a few more sandwiches for her always-starving child and grabbed him a fresh bag of ice. She set it lightly on his face and she raised her eyebrows at him. He knew full well that they weren't angry, but she also wasn't thrilled. He was so much like his father...

"Don't make a habit out of this."

"Ugh. Mom, I'm already pissed off that you force me to be there at all." He frowned at his parents. They knew full well he woke up for class already angry and he wished they'd acknowledge the fact that he didn't lose his temper every day. It took work, dammit. "There's no reason for me and Al to go to that stupid school. We're smarter than the teachers and bored all day. There's nothing left for us to learn there so why can't we go study alchemy?" A daily debate in the Mustang household.

"Because, you need to finish this year. Then you can go." It was only fair, as Roy had started his apprenticeship early by graduating early. Alphonse was on track to leave not long after his older brother. It was hard not to brag about his 14 and 15 year olds being seniors already, but he also wasn't fond of the idea of them leaving home. He couldn't protect them well enough if they weren't under his roof.

"And there are no flame alchemy tutors so don't even look." Roy eyes remained on the work in front of him, scanning the paper and signing it, turning it over and moving on to the next.

Edward stopped eating and stared at his father. He was mad about the secrets he kept from him and Al but he hadn't brought it up for a while. Had his tantrums been eating at his father more than himself? Ed started to feel guilty as Roy continued to stare at the forms on the table, avoiding both him and his mom.

"Dad...I don't want to learn flame alchemy. Well, I do, but I want to learn _everything_. If you don't think I should know, pisses me off sometimes but I won't ask anymore." That got his attention and Roy looked up, surprised. He didn't think Ed would ever stop asking, ever stop being angry. He had never been happier to be proven wrong.

Riza listened, surprised herself. Maybe he'd worry a little less about what Ed thought of him now. Roy got up and ruffled Ed's hair, grinning even more when he made a face. At least some things never changed.

"Tell you what. Take an hour break from your mom's punishment and I'll teach you the stargazer array you were talking about the other day."

When Ed looked at her, grinning and eager for permission, she smiled again and nodded. "Not in the house." She wasn't about to stop them when they were getting along, but it was taking a toll on her productivity for the day, not to mention her husband's.

Ed ran upstairs to change out of his school uniform while Roy cleaned up. Riza, having lost that particular battle, leaned against the counter next to him.

"So you're ok with him and Winry then?"

Roy glanced at her. "Do I have a say?"

"Of course you do, you're his father."

"You sure? He doesn't look much like me…"

Riza took the dish towel off his shoulder and smacked him with it. "That's never been funny, you know. Watching him storm around should be proof enough he's all yours."

"I don't know, you've been known to be stormy on occasion."

"You're more childish than our children."

"Ok. You're right. About Edward and Winry. We can't keep those two apart, that much has been obvious for a long time. So, might as well embrace it. I really don't want them to have to hide like we did."

He put down the towel and wrapped his arms around her waist. Riza smiled, kissing him lightly before leaning her head against his shoulder. It had been a long week and it was only Tuesday.

Roy noticed how tired she was, even more so now than when she'd walked into the office that morning. "You know, you could always take a half day today." Riza opened her eyes and moved to look up at him. What was he thinking? Lunch turning into an alchemy lesson turning into a half day…..

"Kidding!" She sighed, but her spot against his neck was comfortable, so she let her head rest there once again.

"Stop being so difficult."

"Wouldn't know how." He chuckled and kissed the top of her hair, holding her against him. The moment of calm was nice, as was the smell of Roy's aftershave, and she savoured both.

"Is Hayate in the backyard?"

"What?" She turned in his arms, her back against his chest, to look out the kitchen window at whatever had gotten his attention. She thought she saw something move but couldn't be sure. Whatever it was, it was bigger than their dog.

"Shouldn't be. Black Hayate?" She let go of Roy and walked towards the hall, waiting to hear the familiar sounds of her Shiba Inu rushing to attention. When no noise came, she frowned. "I guess he might have gotten out." He was trained much better than that, but it was possible. "Are you sure you saw Hayate?"

"Not sure but I think so. I'll go get him." Something was a little off, though neither could quite put their finger on what. Riza didn't have time to protest before he was closing the back door, accidentally slamming it hard. It opened again, bouncing against the frame and then the wall until it stood open. Riza wondered what all the force was about and started to ask Roy when the frame began to shake . They made eye contact as bricks quickly tumbled between them, sealing what used to be a doorway in moments. The last thing she saw was a piece of the house hit Roy in the head, and him drop down out of sight. Riza went down a moment later, blacking out.

Her eyes flew open and she gasped, coughing on the dust the masonry had stirred up. She shouted for Roy as loudly as she could, managing to inhale even more debris.

"MOM!" Ed raced up to her, gently pulling her up to a sitting position. She was the least of her worries and focused on him, filled with fear.

"Edward! Are you alright?" She pushed his bangs back, inspecting every inch of his head before he stopped her.

"Mom, I'm fine. But your leg...and your head..." She reached up, flinching as she found a large cut surrounded by matted down hair. He realized he shouldn't have moved her but seeing his mother bleeding on the ground was too much for the 15 year old. "Where's Dad!?" He looked panicked at the sight of her and Riza turned to face the barrier between her and her husband. She had to try to stay calm for Edward's sake.

"He's ok. I promise, we just have to get out and get to him."

"Are you sure he's not already dead?" Riza jerked away from her son, completely taken aback by the deadpan question.

"W...what?"

"I think he might already be gone, Lieutenant Hawkeye. I'm really sorry."

* * *

Next Chapter: Breaking Through


	5. Breaking Through

" _Why haven't they spoken?! It's been quiet too long.. What kind of friend am I?! Please be okay..."_

"Havoc!"

The second Lieutenant snapped his eyes up to see the concerned face of Breda, who was leaning on the wall next to him.

"You're a good friend and are trying your best. You need to stay calm."

" _Was I talking out loud?"_

"Yes, Havoc. You were talking out loud."

He quickly rose from his seated position against the wall, but the quick action caused him to stumble a little. Breda, luckily noticing his friends foolish action, quickly placed his hands on his pal's shoulders.

"You need to calm down. I know this isn't the most... ideal situation but they _will_ be okay. It's our Colonel and Lieutenant we're talking about here. Those two can survive anything. And they're together. But they need you to be strong."

"But it's my fault for not protecting them. It may be Hawkeye's job to watch the Colonel's back. But it's our job to watch _both_ of theirs. And.. I failed."

xxxxx

Alphonse wrung his gloves, staring out the window wishing the train would move faster. "It's good we didn't get too far away from Central."

Ed was focused entirely on the seat in front of him. He seemed to be forming plans, ones that were consistently scrapped and then started over.

"I just don't know enough yet." He muttered, anxious and annoyed.

"We'll get there in time, Brother. And Sergeant Fuery said others were coming too."

"Yeah, I would've liked a few more details." There was only so much he could think ahead to do if no one told him anything.

" _Come on Colonel Bastard, you're supposed to be a pain in my ass for a long time still. You better be alive when we get there."_ Neither of them wanted to think about what would happen if they didn't reach the Colonel and Lieutenant. They were going to save them. They had to.

xxxxx

Roy had stopped yelling her name, trying to conserve energy. He instead stared at Riza, willing her to wake up, unable to focus on anything else. When he'd discovered she was out cold, after coming to himself, he cobbled together a few things. If they were in uniform, they weren't home. A home that was so perfect, he wasn't sure it was real. He fumbled with his collar, finding his dog tags but not a wedding ring. His stomach sank with a level sadness he didn't know he had in him.

 _All a dream. Every part of it._ If that wasn't real...he'd known the memory of them as teenagers wasn't really a memory. It was more of a wish, a recurring dream he'd had even after he'd left the Hawkeye manor behind. So much sleeping, though...he was losing consciousness faster and more often. The only thing that kept him waking up was the thought of her dying.

With his free, mostly undamaged hand, he reached across himself and gave his broken arm a prod. He nearly retched at the pain but it did its job. He felt the small adrenaline rush that would keep him going a little longer, ensuring he'd be around as long as possible.

Roy watched her brow furrow slightly and he felt his heart jump.

"Riza. Riza, hey. Talk to me, wake up. Riza..." He coaxed, and she slowly opened her eyes, blinking and frowning. She turned to look at him and smiled.

"You're ok." She murmured, already on the way out again when another thought struck her, a seemingly distressing one. "Edward...is he safe?"

"Fullmetal? He's not here. Just focus Riza. Do you know where you are?"

She blinked again, fighting confusion and exhaustion. "We were home..." Then a frown. "No, wait..." She caught sight of his injuries and then her own, finding them for the first time all over again, letting the few memories she did have resurface. There was no way to tell how much time had passed but she was impressed she was still breathing.

"Roy, we're going to die." She wished he had evidence to the contrary but it seemed that they were at the end of the line. At least she got to be with him...a small kindness from the universe neither felt they deserved.

"No way. You just have to stay awake, same as me. You looked like you were dreaming? Tell me about it, and I'll tell you about mine." Her face was totally drained of colour, sickly white through a sheen of sweat mingled with dirt and blood.

Riza sighed heavily, talking took so much work. The sigh was enough to nudge her impaled side and she gasped. That certainly woke her up, but she couldn't tell if she'd opened the wound.

"Careful!" He reached out automatically, shifting his arm in the process and letting out a hiss.

"I could say the same to you." Riza said, trying to catch her breath through the pain. "So that really was a dream. We were eating lunch, you went outside and slammed the door, everything started to fall, and then Edward told me you were dead."

"Well I can promise you I'm alive, and that Ed isn't here. Wherever we are, I think it's just us."

"I also dreamed that Ed and Al were our kids." His eyes went wide and he laughed a little.

"Did Fullmetal and I get along?" She smiled again, nodding.

"Roy! No, Roy!" He jolted at the sound of her voice.

"You fell asleep." She didn't try to hide the tremor in her tone.

"For how long?" She had no idea, but she had been almost certain that...

 _"_ Too long. Please don't do that again." Her eyes were rimmed with red.

 _I'm dying. I'm dying and I failed her. I was supposed to keep her safe._

"Yes ma'am."

Even moving her eyes was painful by then, and she knew she was pretty much out of time. And if this was the last chance to say it...

"I love you. I always have." She murmured as darkness crept into her line of sight and slowly began to spread. Riza gazed at Roy before she lost the fight and felt her eyelids fall. "No matter where I am, please...know that."

Roy's breath hitched when she went silent.

"...Riza?"

He couldn't see the rise and fall of her chest anymore.

* * *

To be continued.


	6. Ending 1: Beloved

**A/N:** Allison: I was not kidding in _Just Like You_ when I said my AUs for this were turning into fics of their own... one has taken over my writing right now which should start posting soon (and Purple has some awesomeness in the works, keep an eye on her page!).

I actually wrote this before most of the story, and Purple and I will probably add more one shots. But I didn't want to just let this fic linger when I already knew how it was going to go...

We decided to have two different endings for this. While _Beloved_ is the one I wrote first (before Purple nearly murdered me), it's an angst fest and if that's not your jam skip on over to _Hurry_ , the, for lack of a better term, alternate ending. But I like them both equally so choose the one you prefer :)

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!  
AH and PM

* * *

Ending 1: Beloved

Al looked away from the scene. It was too much. They had to have been in so much pain.

Havoc couldn't understand what he was seeing. It was wrong, after all. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. They might have made it at the very last second but Mustang and Hawkeye were supposed to be alive when they finally got to them. That was how these stories always ended. At the 11th hour they'd rescue them and it would all be ok, even if they were nearly too late.

 _This isn't how it's supposed to go._

Armstrong's tears poured down his face as he approached the bodies. Her eyes were closed, and her lips formed a small smile. It was almost...peaceful. _His_ eyes, however, were open wide, full of anguish and completely fixed on her, cheek wet with tears. They had been just barely too late. It was clear both Mustang and Hawkeye couldn't have died more than a few minutes before they broke through the rubble.

"She passed first… And he comforted her up until the moment she was gone. But then, there was no one to comfort him." The looks on their faces seemed to support Armstrong's theory. They'd never had to test it but there was no doubt that that was exactly how Mustang would look upon realizing Hawkeye was dead. The fact that her face didn't mirror his...he had been trapped, awake, just far enough to watch her die before his eyes. Armstrong shuddered, a fresh fountain of tears spilling over. He truly believed there was no world in which only one of them existed; Roy and Riza were a package deal. Fate appeared to agree and in the cruelest way.

"The Colonel always said he thought he would die in battle." Falman said quietly. "They didn't say it but there was never a question of the Lieutenant being close behind."

"He followed her instead." Al shook his head. If he could he would be crying with the others, none of whom were trying to hide their anguish.

Ed fell to his knees with his head low, overwhelmed by a burst of defeat. Small chunks of rubble dug deep into his flesh leg but he didn't notice. If they had gotten there 20, maybe even 10 minutes earlier Mustang and Hawkeye might be ok. Sometimes he wanted to punch Mustang in the face but he also knew he had his and Al's backs no matter what. He could only imagine the strings he pulled and the maneuvers he made to keep them from getting in trouble with the brass. And then everything Hawkeye did behind the scenes for both him and the Colonel to make sure they didn't kill themselves or each other. She was never without a stern word and a simultaneous kind glance for both Elric's, her hawk's eyes watching over them across any distance. Just like that, another set of people who cared for him and Al were dead.

"I wish I'd had time to make you proud."

"Thank you for believing in us." Al finished his brother's thought as he sat next to Ed, wishing again he had the ability to emote, at least a little, like everyone else.

Breda came up behind them and rested his hand on Ed's right shoulder. For a quick moment, he thought it was Hawkeye. She was always urging him to get up and keep going after all. He crumbled a bit more after the realization and punched the ground, half in anger and half in despair. He heard a crack but whatever pain should have been there was dulled. Nothing seemed quite real and every member of the team willed themselves to wake up-and no one more than Edward.

"Mustang was proud of you from day one. You should have seen his face when they got back from visiting the two of you. He swept in like a tornado, declaring that he'd found the most interesting, promising, and tragic alchemists in all of Amestris. She could barely keep him contained, ended up doing all the paperwork while he raved about you both. Not sure if he was even avoiding doing work for once...I don't think he was. He was working through helping you kids instead." Edward shook his head, hoping Breda would stop. He didn't want to hear it. Not then, not anymore.

* * *

All of the funeral preparations were done jointly-Grumman and Christmas insisted and no one argued. They tried to hide it but Roy and Riza cared more deeply for each other than anyone would ever know. They never left the other's side, even in death. It was their responsibility to respect that and the soldiers would be buried side by side, Riza on the left.

Madame Christmas knew for a fact her foster son was in love with his subordinate, even before he admitted it over one too many drinks. It took a single second of meeting Riza to see that it was mutual. She cursed her son for not admitting it before it was too late, for being so careless. For her having to put him in the ground.

 _Parents shouldn't have to bury their children._ She pulled the large brim of her hat a bit lower effectively covering her eyes. _Damn you, Roy._

Edward, Breda, Falman, Alex Armstrong, Knox, and Gracia carried Roy Mustang to his final resting place.

Alphonse, Havoc, Olivier Armstrong, Winry, Rebecca, and Fuery carried Riza Hawkeye.

Roy and Riza had touched a lot of lives. All 12 had their own, private, reason to have a hand on their chosen casket and had refused to be left out of the duty.

Dark green Amestrian flags covered their caskets and both groups moved in perfect time. To the large congregation gathered in front of the adjoining graves, it was an eerie sight. Mustang and Hawkeye still and, now forever, side by side.

The headstones were concise but spoke volumes, an echo of the people below them.

* * *

 _Riza Hawkeye_

 _1887-1914_

 _Beloved._

* * *

 _Roy Mustang_

 _1885-1914_

 _Beloved._

* * *

Next Chapter: Choose your own finale.


	7. Ending 2: Hurry

**Or, if you didn't like that ending, try this one. Let us know which you liked better! ~AH**

* * *

 _Ending 2: Hurry_

The team, along with a sizable gathering of soldiers, still couldn't get even a gap cleared in the wall of debris. Every piece they removed was replaced perfectly and almost instantly. A puzzle not even Grumman would be able to solve. Havoc, the only witness to the possible carnage awaiting them, just urged the rest on. Move forward. It was the only way.

They didn't hear Ed approach, he seemed to come out of nowhere and the cloud of dust he kicked up when his sprint ended was a feat in itself. The moment he was still he whipped his head around frantically, looking at each person and trying to determine who had answers. "What's happening?!" For once, his shout wasn't some kind of petulant tantrum, though it was certainly loud enough to qualify. But no, that was fear. No one told him anything beyond the sole call from Fuery.

" _Come back. Please. Hurry. We don't have much time._ " He sounded like they'd lost a battle and Ed hadn't been able to come up with any fix for this situation he knew nothing about on the way back to HQ and he was getting progressively more agitated. When he tried to call the office to find out what the hell Fuery had meant about the Colonel and Lieutenant no one answered. Figuring out where to go hadn't been hard though, when they got there the whole building was buzzing about Mustang, Hawkeye, and Scar.

Al caught up to his older brother and waited while they were finally given the full story on what they were up against. It felt like it was too late based purely on the faces of their team. He wasn't sure they could be any paler, and Havoc looked like hell...he refused to give up hope though, the others seemed to be slowing losing it and right then, hope was all they had.

"We can't get to them. Whatever Scar did, every time we make even a little headway we're blocked again." Any strategy Breda tried failed miserably and he demonstrated how the rubble shifted.

Ed assessed the improvised "wall" in front of him. "Did anyone see what happened?" Havoc stepped forward to stand at his side, wincing with the movement.

"I don't know how deep in there they are. I think they're close, though..." He gestured to the debris keeping the team back. "I was busy being bombarded by shrapnel but from what I could tell they tried to protect the other one. They were standing…here-" he got his bearings and pointed to where he'd seen them last. "And I doubt they got very far."

Ed nodded, brow furrowed and deep in thought. He had to be very careful then. He closed his eyes and clapped his hands, taking a deep, shaky breath before placing them against what looked like the sturdiest corner. It seemed counterintuitive but he created a solid, proper wall. He questioned Havoc again, trying to get a more specific location of where they'd fallen. He moved a little ways from it and clapped again, Ed's whispered "please" easily drowned out by the crackling alchemy. When he touched the structure a hole in the wall emerged capable of fitting the assembled soldiers, paramedics, and 6 members of a team desperately missing their leaders.

Edward rushed forward, getting in first but stopping in his tracks just as quickly. Had he been too late after all? He was frozen in place, eyes wide and hands at the ready as he tried to think of what to do next.

 _No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening and it WON'T happen._ The more he insisted the less sure he became. He'd assumed the moment he got inside he'd be able to do more than just stand and stare.

The rest thought they were prepared to deal with whatever shape Mustang and Hawkeye were in but each member of the team ground to a halt with Ed. Falman snapped out of it first, knowing they didn't have the luxury of time, and went to check their pulses. The relief on his face got the rest of the team to breathe and steered them back on track.

"Medics!" Apparently, he really had found some good news. They were already prepped to remove the Colonel and Lieutenant and brushed the others out of the way to do so. They were both unconscious and the EMTs gestured for the men to start clearing the debris around them; they needed to get both uncovered fast and carefully. The moment Hawkeye was jostled she snapped awake. Being checked and moved was too unbearable to sleep through and she noticed that every time she thought she was screaming her lungs out she was barely making a sound. Even with the metal pole holding her to the ground her insistence seemed to be that Mustang be looked at first. She was going into shock but through it did her best to push them towards the Colonel with the meager strength she had in her working hand.

"This isn't a contest, Hawkeye." Havoc knew that wasn't what she meant but it was what she needed to hear. "We're taking you both, now."

Roy was just as hard to deal with as Riza had been and his terrified eyes followed every movement in her direction. Talking felt much too difficult but he tried to get his subordinates to understand. Unfortunately, he didn't quite have the connection with them like he did with her. Riza held eye contact for as long as she could, but she didn't seem to be able to focus on anything. He wished he had the power to promote all his subordinates for their actions and for rescuing her but he had a feeling he wouldn't be around long enough to make it happen.

He thought he heard a gasping, faint scream from Hawkeye as she was lifted slowly from the ground. He was still staring and saw a spray of blood from her side as soon as she was moved. Something made Falman's eyes go wide and she was rushed away towards one of the waiting vehicles. He had lost her pulse and hoped Roy didn't catch his reaction. He wasn't as lucky as he'd hoped but kept moving. She was nearly gone, they didn't have time to explain to the Colonel that they were doing the right thing.

"Stop, you're killing her!" His voice was raspy, but he made sure he was heard. "Riza! Stop!" It was his last bit of energy in him and there was no better way to use it. Fuery placed his hand firmly on his boss' chest to stop him from continuing to try to move and the young man looked him in the eye, as serious as his superior had ever seen.

"Sir, if she stays here Lieutenant Hawkeye _will_ die. And if you don't listen, so will you." If Roy was thinking clearly he would be impressed as his behaviour. Instead he nodded.

"Just save her." Fuery had to lean in to hear and when he looked at the Colonel, he seemed to have fallen asleep. He was practically pushed out of the way so the doctors could move him but Fuery stayed on their heels.

"Colonel? Sir!". They were already nearing the ambulance and the hospital was only a few blocks away.

"We lost him, we have to move **now**." Anyone who wasn't Mustang or Hawkeye weren't the medics' concern and when the second ambulance tore around the corner Ed found his feet, racing to meet them at the hospital. The team let him go, knowing it was useless to argue with him and he was already a surprising distance away. They quickly piled into one of the many cars at the scene and followed suit, praying for the best and preparing for the worst.

* * *

Both were effectively rendered useless in the field in their own way. Mustang's arm would heal, but his alchemy would never quite be the same. After everything he'd done with it, he wouldn't say no to retiring the damn gloves altogether. His broken legs would mend as well, though that would take time.

Hawkeye's hand was a different story. The doctors were able to do enough to keep from having to amputate, but barely. She was tempted to tell them to just cut the damn thing off and give her some automail. Riza couldn't bear to have only one working hand and there was no way to properly save what was left. She couldn't even hold a pen even after what felt like a hundred operations.

By their third week in the hospital she decided to slip Winry a note. Riza would be useless if they were ever discharged and she couldn't bear it. Automail was the most logical decision. She hated to put that weight on someone, let alone a child, but she knew Winry Rockbell was extraordinary and as strong as she could only have dreamt about at 15. The guilt from asking was enormous but the crumpled immobile _thing_ attached to her arm was making her lose her mind.

Roy was well aware...he'd seen Winry's eyes bulge and fill with tears the last time the Elrics had come to visit. If Riza wasn't ready to tell him, he would wait.

* * *

They found out much, much later that Havoc and Alphonse were the masterminds behind Mustang and Hawkeye's ability to be together their entire hospital stay. Havoc went as far as to write up a report on why his superiors needed to be in the same room to recover, and both had been such pains in the ass the hospital and military relented just to stop him and Al. Havoc denied it right up until his toast at their wedding. But seeing them stretched as far as they could bear and not reaching each other had already made the rounds in his nightmares. There was no way they were going to be kept apart like that again, not if he, the team, or the Elric kids had anything to say about it.

This time, unlike their time trapped, they were close enough to touch hands, gripping the other's tightly whenever they were alone. That was all Roy and Riza needed to keep going.


End file.
